Assessing patient-oriented results after revision total knee arthroplasty

Abstract

Background: Revision total knee arthroplasties (TKA) have been performed with increasing frequency over the last 25 years.

Methods: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed 78 patients who underwent 78 revision TKAs during the years 2003–2007 with an average follow-up of 81 months (range 60–108 months). All patients were treated with a standard rotating hinge prosthesis (TC3, DePuy, Warsaw, IN, USA) due to significant instability. We evaluated the postoperative results using the Knee Society clinical rating system and the WOMAC rating system.

Results: Clinical results revealed significant improvements in both scores. Complications occurred in almost one-third of the cases, with a reoperation rate of 26 %.

Conclusion: Our mid-term findings show that revision TKAs lead to an improvement in patient-perceived outcomes of physical variables. While revision TKA is a useful option for patients, procedure-associated complications should not be neglected. During the course of the procedure, it is important to collect patient-oriented data and focus on responsive and valid scores.